Aculco was founded approximately in 1110 A.D. by the Otomies, despite the fact that its name comes from Nahuatl. After being a village inhabited by Otomies for long time, it became a region dominated by the Mexicas, who lived there many years before the founding of Tenochtitlan. With the arrival of the Spanish, in 1540, construction on the church and the convent of San Jeronimo began. In November 1810, Miguel Hidalgo and his contingent, who began the Mexican War of Independence, arrived in the region. Aculco was also where insurgents, led by Don Miguel Hidalgo, lost a battle against the troops of Felix Ma. Calleja. During the nineteenth century, the town hall and the first primary school in the region was constructed. Public baths and a municipal pool were also built. Aculco contains numerous geographic features suitable for tourism. Two cascades are located in the area: "Tixhiñu" and "la Concepción". Many rivers, including the Río Ñadó and Río Prieto also flow through the municipality. In addition, Aculco is home to numerous historic sites, including the San Jerónimo and the "Garrido Varela" (a bullring), as well as the former residence of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. Two busts are located in Aculco in the memory of Benito Juarez and Miguel Hidalgo. (Information provided by Wikipedia. Click on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aculcoffor additional information.)
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| Amecameca de Juárez is a town and the seat of the municipio (municipality) of Amecameca in México State, Mexico. Commonly referred to as simply "Ameca", it is located in the southeastern portion of the [[State of Mexico. The name Amecameca, which originally was Amaquemecan, derives from Nahuatl. Its roots are the words “amatl”, which means paper. “Queme” means to indicate or suggest. It also means a place or location. Therefore, Amaquemecan means "The place where the papers indicate something." Because of its close proximity to the volcano Popocatépetl, Ameca is a popular tourist destination for people from around the globe. (Information provided by Wikipedia. Click on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amecameca for additional information.) |
|
Things to See and Do
Christmas Tree Forest -
This is a
park where visitors are able to cut
their own Christmas tree with government
permission and spend a day in the most
beautiful park of the country.
El Sacromonte National Park - The park has an area of 45 hectares. It includes Sacromonte Hill, from which one is able to appreciate Amecameca's downtown and Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl . The vegetation of the park is mostly of cedar trees, eucalyptus trees and ash trees.
La Hacienda Panoaya - The hacienda is located at the kilometer 58 of the Mexico-Cautla road. The original owner of the hacienda was Pedro Paez Izital who received the land by decree of the Spanish king in 1534. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz spent part of her childhood and wrote her first poem here. Near the end of the 20th century, the hacienda was at the point of ruin but was saved in 1999 to become a museum and a recreational park. The main house has been converted into a museum to honor Sor Juana and the old granery has been converted into the Museo Internacional de los Volcanes (International Museum of Volcanos), with focus on the nearby Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanos. The recreational park features the opportunity to pet and feed differenct species of animals, like pigs, lambs, chickens, llamas, cows and ducks, but the main attraction are the tame deer. The visitor is able to feed the animals following certain rules.
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Buenavista
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Chapingo
Chapingo is most notable as the location
of
Chapingo Autonomous University
(Universidad Autónoma Chapingo). The
UACh, as it is known, is the country's
most prestigious centre for agricultural
studies. It was founded as the National
School of Agriculture in
Mexico City in 1854 and has been
located on its current Chapingo campus
since 1923. It is very close, about 3
km (2 miles) from both the Colegio de
Posgraduados (CP) postgraduate study
centre and the
International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Center (CIMMYT).
Chapingo combines with these other
leading centers to form an unofficial
"national consortium for agricultural
development." In the surrounding area is located
also a new urban development now close
to the municipal seat, Texcoco, cradle
of the pre-Hispanic Acolhuan culture,
whose greatest figure was
Nezahualcoyotl the King. This urban
settlement comprises Chapingo, Huexotla,
Unidad
ISSSTE (residential area for staff
of UACH) as well as Salitreria and
Texcoco. University of Chapingo holds students
from all States of Mexico, through an
admission process carried out every
year. This process not only gives
admission but awards full scholarships
to all students selected. Students are
divided into three categories, depending
on their socioeconomical status,
however, no fees are charged to any
national student. On the other hand it
holds rooms and facilities to
accommodate students in campus. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapingo,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
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Chicoloapan de Juárez
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Chiconcuac de Juárez
Chiconcuac is principally famous for
its large tianguis, or public market, which has 2,400 permanent vendors, and
attracts up to 6,000 more semi-permanent and itinerant vendors on weekends. The
large food court in the Chiconcuac market is widely famous for preparing
barbacoa de
borrego (lamb barbecue),
and other specialties of
Mexican cuisine. The area which is now all one city, was
a cluster of settlements of mostly
Chichimecas and
Tlailotlaques. The area was
conquered by the Spanish in
1597, with land here granted to
Hernando Núñez where he established the
Hacienda de Santa Cruz de Prado
Alegre, better known as the “Arojo”. The
area was then evangelized by the
Franciscans. Because of its
proximity to
Mexico City, the city suffered
battles during the [[Mexican War of
Independence, the
French intervention in Mexico and
the War of "La
Reforma." In
1980,
mammoth bones where discovered in a
neighborhood called Calxiacatl.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiconcuac_de_Ju%C3%A1rez
for additional information.)
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Chimalhuacán
Chimalhuacán (Nahuatl
for "place of those who have shields") is a city and
municipality located in the eastern part of
Mexico
State, Mexico.
It lies just outside the northeast border of the
Federal
District (Distrito Federal) and is part of the
Greater Mexico City urban area.
The city is practically coextensive with
the municipality. The census of 2005
reported a population of 524,223 for the
city and 525,389 for the municipality as
a whole.
Chimalhuacán was founded
1259 by three chiefs or
tlatoani named Huauxomatl,
Chalchiutlatonac and Tlatzcantecuhtli.
These chiefs and their people originated
from
Tula and
Culhuacán. They spoke
Chichimeca y
Mexicalanguages but with time their
customs merged and
Náhuatl became the dominant
language. It became subject to Texcoco,
and through that belonged to the
Aztec Triple Alliance in
1431. The Spanish town of
Chimalhuacán was founded in
1529 and the
Dominicans built a church and
monastary here in
1563.
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Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl
Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl (aka Ciudad Neza) is a city and seat of
the municipality of Mexico State adjacent to the northeast corner of
Mexico's Federal District: it is thus part of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area.
It was named after Nezahualcoyotl, the Acolhua poet and king of nearby Texcoco,
and was built on the drained bed of Lake Texcoco. The name Nezahualcóyotl comes
from Nahuatl and it means "fasting coyote" Ciudad Neza is nearly co-extensive
with the municipality making the names interchangeable.
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Ciudad Nicolás Romero
Ciudad Nicolás Romero is the largest city and municipal seat
of the municipality of Nicolás Romero in Mexico State, Mexico. It is located 58
km from the city of Toluca, the state capital and lies in the north-central part
of the state, just northwest of the Federal District (Mexico City). The
seat/municipality's current name is to honor Nicolás Romero, who fought for
Benito Juárez during Reform War and the French intervention in Mexico. He was
executed there by the French. The town adopted this name in 1898. The area was
settled by the Otomi and named Azcapotzaltongo ("among the ant hills" in Náhuatl)
by the Aztecs after conquering it. During colonial times, it was known as San
Pedro Azcapotzaltongo. It was then called Monte Bajo from 1821 to 1898, when the
current name was adopted. Both the municipality and city are commonly referred
to as Nicolás Romero.
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Coatepec Harinas
Coatepec Harinas is a town and municipality in Mexico State,
Mexico. The original name is "Coauhtepetl" which means 'serpent hill' in Náhuatl.
Around 1825 because of a boom in flour production, the name "Harinas" was added.
It is located on the southern edge of the Nevado de Toluca, 35 km
south-southeast of the city of Toluca and 27 km west of Tenancingo. The earliest
town of Coauhtepetl was probably settled sometime between 650 and 750 AD.
Between 1522 and 1524 the area was subjugated by Gonzalo de Sandoval y Andrés de
Tapia. Between 1560 and 1563 a new town was constructed on the site. In 1623,
the first parish was constructed.
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Coatlinchan
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Cuautitlán Izcalli
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Donato Guerra
Villa Donato Guerra is the municipal seat of the municipality
called Donato Guerra in the State of Mexico, Mexico. The area is also known as
Malacatepec (meaning 'hill in the shape of a spindle) and La Asunción
Malacatepec. (Villa) Donato Guerra is located in the western part of the State
of Mexico. In the region that is identified with Valle de Bravo. It was named "Donato
Guerra" in 1880 in honor of a distinguished soldier of the War of La Reforma. It
is located around 77 kilometers from Toluca which is the capital of the state,
on Federal Highway number 35 Mexico City - Zitácuaro.
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Fuentes
del Valle
Ixtapan de la Sal
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Ixtapan del Oro
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Ixtlahuaca de Rayón
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Jilotepec de Molina
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Lerma
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Malinalco
Malinalco has an efficient infrastructure such as a variety
of hotels, small stores, beautiful restaurants and a wonderful downtown. An
important part of Malinalco is its colonial streets where you can take a
tour and admired typical colonial houses proper of the town. Recently in
downtown many artist had installed a couple of ambulant stores of artisanal
products that are really popular.
Things to See and Do
The Dr. Luis Mario
Schneider Museum of the Autonomous
University of the State of Mexico. It
has an interesting ethnobotanical
exhibit. Many of the other artifacts
recovered from archaeological sites are
grouped by discoverer, which does not
give a good sense of their place or
function in the archaeological record. Monastery of the
Divino Salvador de Malinalco-
Malinalco has been an important
religious place from pre-Hispanic times
and has continued as such to the present
day. In 1533 Servants of the Dulce
Nombre de Jesús founded the house of
Malinalco. In 1540, following a council
meeting that took place in San Agustin
de México, it was agreed that the
monastery would be built in Malinalco
due to its pre- Hispanic importance,
which made it a suitable location for
the building of an important regional
institution. That is how in 1543 this
Augustinian monastery was founded and
from where the evangelization of the
entire region began. The convent
includes a large atrium and a
rectangular temple to the rear of which
is monastery vegetable garden. An open
chapel can be seen on the façade of the
convent, which is sometimes use as a “porteria”.
Malinalco hieroglyphics and the shield
of the Augustinian order can be found in
the cornice of the chapel as mute
witnesses to the meeting of two
cultures. The façade of the chapel was
probably completely covered in fresco
paintings. They are the biggest fresco
paintings in all of Latin America.
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Naucalpan
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Ojo
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San Agustín Altamirano
San Antonio la Isla
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Bernardino
San Bernardo Tlamimilolpan
San Buenaventura
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San Cristóbal Ecatepec
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San Felipe del Progreso
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San Francisco Coacalco
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San José Villa de Allende
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San Mateo Mexicaltzingo
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San Miguel Totocuitlapilco
San Pablo de las Salinas
San Salvador Atenco
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Santiago Teyahualco
Santiago Tianguistenco
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Santo Tomás de los Plátanos
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Temascalcingo
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Temascaltepec de González
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Tenango del Valle Things to See and Do
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Teoloyucan The city has two notable
churches from the 17th
century, the Church of
Santa Cruz and the
Church of San Juan.
There are also plans to
establish the Museo
Comunitario de
Teoloyucan
(Community Museum of
Teoloyucan). The city's
patron saint is San
Antonio de Padua. The Magnetic
Observatory of
Teoloyucan was
originally established
in the School of Mining
in Mexico City in the
18th century by Antonio
Alzate and
Alejandro von Humbolt.
In
1903, it was moved
to
Cuajimalpa then
again to its current
location in
1911 due to the
development of the
Mexico City
metropolitan area. It
was originally located
in the town's municipal
palace but when this
building was remodeled
in
1978, the
observatory again moved
to its current location
next to the municipal
cemetery at the town's
edge. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teoloyucan,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
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Ixtapan de la Sal is a town and
municipality located in the
State of Mexico,
Mexico. It is 60
km south of
Toluca, the state capital. The word Ixtapan
comes from
Nahuatl. There are two theories as to the origin of
the name. The first one states that it is composed of
iztal, which means salt, and pan, which means
over or in. The second one states that it comes from
iztac, which means white, atl, which means
water; and pan, which means in white waters. "de
la Sal" is
Spanish for "of salt."
The city of Ixtapan de la Sal has as its
primary economic activity the tourism
generated by the thermal springs that
are found here. It is considered to be
one of the primary tourist destinations
in the State of Mexico. Many
internationally-known hotel chains have
locations here, most often placed on or
right next to a thermal spring.
It is also the home of the Parque
Acuatico Ixtapan a water park with
thermal spring spa, a children's area, a
family area and an area dedicated to
"extreme" water rides."
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtapan_de_la_Sal
for additional information.)
The name “Ixtapan” comes from
Nahuatl and means 'in the place of little salt'.
"del Oro" is
Spanish, meaning 'of the gold'. This name was added
in
1894 when some veins of gold were found here.
It is a small town of only 913 people.
This town is located at the western
limits of Mexico State. It was founded
in
1650 but received its name in
1870 as a municipality. A number
of archeological artifacts are displayed
in the town's central garden, including
a
monolith called "Tlazolteotl”, which
depects women and a meat market. In
1987, the municipal government
located in the town established the
ecological park of "El Salto de
Chihuahua" to promote tourism in the
region. The town church, called San Martine
Ocoxochitepec, is an amalgam of a number
of different styles, but its
atrium clearly marks its beginnings
in the 16th century. It was last
remodeled in
1975. The Casa de la Cultura (House of
Culture) "Joaquín Arcadio Pagaza" was
opened in
1993 and the sports facility of
"Graciela Mendoza Barrios" was opened in
1996.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtapan_del_Oro
for additional information.)
Ixtlahuaca de Rayón is a city (often just simply called "Ixtlahuaca")
and municipality north of Toluca in the northwest part of the State of Mexico,
in Mexico. The distance between Mexico City and Ixtlahuaca is 32 Km. The name
Ixthahuaca comes from Náhuatl and means plains without trees. The city and
municipality were officially established by decree on November 14, 1816 by the
Congress of the State of Mexico.The city of Ixtlahuca de Rayón had a population
of 7,114 at the 2005 census. When the town was officially established, the
appendage of "de Rayón" was added to the name in honor of Francisco López Rayón
who was executed by royalist forces during the Mexican War of Independence here
on the side of the municipal palace. The original Mazahua town was located about
4 miles east of the current city. The population center was moved in 1545 when
it was decided that the area needed a parish church of its own (it had been
dependent on the parish of Tlalchichilpan prior), and the priest decided upon
the location, finishing constructon in 1552- Viceroy Luis de Velasco designated
the area as a town. Ixtlahuaca gained city status in 1992.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtlahuaca_de_Ray%C3%B3n
for additional information.)
Jilotepec de Molina Enríquez and
Jilotepec de Abasolo are a town and a municipality located northwest zone of
the
State of Mexico, in
Mexico.
However, both entities are interchangeably referred to as "Jilotepec". This name
comes from
Náhuatl, meaning "hill of corncobs".It is located in hilly and forested
terrain an hour from Mexico
City, Toluca,
40minutos from
San Juan del Río, 30 minutes from
Tula and 20 from
Tepeji. The
Mexico
City–Querétaro
and the new Transoceanic Freeways converge within its territory that unite the
coasts of Mexico from Veracruz to Michoacán.
The region was originally inhabited by
Otomis but were conquered in
1379 by
Acamapichtli the
Aztec
tlatoani (chief). After the Spanish
Conquest, Jilotepec was recorded in
ecclesiastical records as a village with
a singe priest, administrated by the
Franciscans with the Brothers Alonso
de Rangel and Antonio de Ciudad Rodrigo
being the first to evangelize the area.
Sometime in the middle of the 16th
century, silver was discovered in
Zacatecas and
Guanajuato, leading to the
construction of the
Camino Real a Zacatecas (Royal Road
to Zacatecas) with passed through
Jilotepec. In the 18th century, the town
was part of a municipality called
Huichapan, but gained seat status when
the municipality of Jilotepec de Abasolo
was created on
March 11,
1824. The city's name was changed by
degree to "Jilotepec de Molina Enríquez"
on August 7,
1986.
In Jilotepec some colonial churches are
preserved such as the Parish of San
Pedro and San Pablo, of the 16th
century, as well as the Sanctuary of the
Virgin of the Piedrita in
Canalejas, where pilgrims from
Mexico visit each year.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jilotepec_de_Molina_Enr%C3%ADquez
for additional information.)
Lerma de Villada is the seat of the municipality of Lerma. It is
located next to
San Mateo Atenco, 10 kilometers west of
Ocoyoacac and only 20 minutes east by car from
Toluca. Its
original
Náhuatl name was Cacamilhuacan which means 'where there are birds in the
grain or in the cornfield'. After the
Conquest, the Spaniards renamed the area Santa Clara. Lerma is located in
the Valley of Toluca, also called the Valley of the Matlatzinco or of
Nepintahihui.
In the region known in early colonial
times as Santa Clara, Martín Reolín
Varejón, founded the present-day city of
Lerma, naming it in honor of the Duke of
Lerma in Spain. However, legend says
that the village had been previously
established by a group of
Matlatzincas and
Otomis. The area was conquered by
the
Aztecs in
1426. Two important battles of the
Mexican War of Independence took
place in and near the city of Lerma. The
first was the Battle of Las Cruces,
which occurred on October 30,
1810, when Miguel Hidalgo defeated
royalist forces, and the other is the
Battle of Lerma, which took place on May
20,
1812 when only a thousand
poorly-armed men managed to defend the
city.
According to
INEGI 2005 census, the city had a
population of 16,827. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lerma,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
Luvianos
is a small town and municipality located in the south of
the
State of Mexico. It gained municipal status in
2000.
People
can access Luvianos by driving Federal Road 134 south
from
Toluca, and then take a detour about 25 minutes
south of
Tejupico. The name is derived from a
hacienda what was established during colonial times.
The town has a total population of 8,146
as of
2005.
One of the popular tourists destinations
in Luvianos is the water park "Las
Lomas". Many travel for hours to visit
this attraction. Every Tuesday locals and visitors
gather around the central business
district for shopping at the Plaza. Like many towns in the region,
Luvianos does not have an airport and is
therefore accessible only via ground
transportation. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
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for additional information.)
Malinalco is a town and municipality located in the
southwestern part of Mexico State, Mexico. Malinalco is to the south of Mexico
State, more or less 65 kilometers from the city of Toluca. This town serves as a
municipality seat and is famous for its cultural traditions also for its natural
wonders and the archeological site. Malinalco came from the Nahuatl Malinalli
(place where ther zacari flower is worshipped). Malinalco was founded officially
in the 12th century and named after Malinalxochitl who was an ambitious witch,
sister of Huitzilopochtli, the most important god of the Mexicas. In the
pre-Conquest era and well into the modern era, Malinalco lay on the main route
from Tenochtitlan (present-day Mexico City), the principal city of the Mexica,
to Acapulco. Tribute goods were transported along this route on the backs of
tamemes (bearers) from populations subjugated by the Mexica to Tenochtitlán.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinalco,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
Naucalpan de Juárez is a city and the seat of the
municipality called Naucalpan de Juárez in the Mexican state of México.It
borders the northwestern part of Distrito Federal, and it is part of the Mexico
City Metropolitan Area, which is the second largest Metropolitan Area of the
world. The city and the municipality are both the third-largest in the state of
México in population, after Ecatepec de Morelos and Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl.
Naucalpan is also the birthplace of the Mexican rock band Café Tacuba, whose
members are often called "The Blessed Children of Naucalpan" by the
media. The name Naucalpan derives from the Nahuatl "Nahui-Calli-Pan", which
literally translates into "Four-House-Place". The derived meaning is "Place of
the Four Houses", with the houses being Tlatilco (place of hidden things),
Totoltepec (place of birds), Huitzilacasco (place between spears) and Totolinga
(place of chickens)." The Nahuatl symbol for Naucalpan (often inaccurately
referred to as its Coat of Arms) is composed of four concentric rings located on
the upper part, above the symbol of Calpulli (house exerting the power);
under them, the symbol for "land", and the symbol of Pan (place) in the
bottom. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naucalpan
for additional information.)
Nopaltepec
is a village and municipality in
Mexico
State, Mexico.
It is about 250 km from
Toluca the
state capital. The name comes from
Náhuatl meaning "on
nopal (paddle
cactus) hill". It was originally called "Santa María de la Asunción Nopaltepec"
but after 1960,
only Nopaltepec has been used. The village begins to appear in records
around
1603 though villages in this area
have existed since pre-Hispanic times.
The village officially becomes the
municipal seat in
1872. In
1901 the Parish of Nopaltepec is
established and was expanded in
1932. The village had a population
of 3,224 in
2005.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nopaltepec,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
Ojo de Agua is the largest town in the municipality of
Tecámac in Mexico State, Mexico. It is located in the northeastern part of
the state, northeast of the Federal District (Distrito Federal and within
the Greater Mexico City urban area. It had a 2005 census population of
161,820 inhabitants, or 59.8 percent of its municipality's total of 270,574.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojo_de_Agua,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
Otzoloapan
is a town and municipality located at the southeast of the
State of Mexico. The name is from the
Náhuatl 'Oceloapan' which means "river of lynxes". It is
located in the southwest part of the state bordering the state of
Michoacán.
The area was first settled by the
Matlazincas in the pre-Hispanic era.
In
1476, it became subject to the
Aztec Triple Alliance when
Axayácatl conquered Matlazinca
lands. After the Spanish conquest, the
land in the area was redistributed among
the Spaniards, with Juana Gamboa getting
Tejupilco and Otzoloapan. The he
build a sugar mill here to process the
cane growing in the surrounding area.
The area was probably first evangelized
by the
Franciscans, and the parish of
Otzoloapan was founded by Juan Marqués
del Aguila, in
1560 by order of
Hernán Cortés. This is considered to
be the beginning of the town.
The village had a population as of
2005 of 1, 586. There is a chapel called "Zuluapan"
that is located in the plaza
principal. It is the community
gathering center and most important
site of the village. From the 7th to
the 11th of November, the village
honors its patron saint, San Martin
Obispo. An underground jail cell used to
imprison rebellious indigenous
people can still be seen here.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otzoloapan
for additional information.)
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San Antonio La Isla is a city in the State of Mexico. It is
located in the southern extreme of Rio Lerma inside Valle de Toluca. San Antonio
La Isla is the head of its municipality, Villa San Antonio La Isla. Its
neighbors are Calimaya in the North, Santa María Rayón in the South, Atizapan
and Almoloya del Río in the West. Its total surface is 2,415 hectares.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_la_Isla
for additional information.)
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San Buenaventura is the second-largest community in the
municipality of Ixtapaluca in the eastern part of Mexico State, Mexico. At the
Mexican census of 2005 the town showed a population of 48,037 inhabitants.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Buenaventura,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
San Cristóbal Ecatepec de Morelos is a city in the State of
México and the seat of the municipality of Ecatepec de Morelos; however, both
the city and the municipality are simply known as "Ecatepec". The name
"Ecatepec" is derived from Nahuatl, and means "windy hill". It was also an
alternative name or invocation to Quetzalcoatl. "Morelos" is the last name of
the hero of the Mexican War of Independence (José María Morelos.)
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Crist%C3%B3bal_Ecatepec
for additional information.)
San Felipe del Progreso is a town and municipality in the northwest of
the
State of Mexico. It is in the western part of ths state, 59 km from the
state capital of
Toluca and 72 km southwest of
Atlacomulco. In colonial times, the village was founded as "San Felipe" or
"San Felipe Ixtlahuaca". Later it was called "San Felipe el Grande" and "San
Felipe del Obraje". In the second half of the 19th century, it received its
current name of "San Felipe del Progreso."
There is indication of
Mazahua presence in the area from
the seventh century. However, they were
constantly besieged by neighboring
peoples. This area was conquered in
1379 by the
P'urhépecha chiefs
Acamapichtli and
Tezozómoc. The area came under
Aztec rule when
Axayácatl during his campaign to
reach
Tlalchimaloyan, now
Ciudad Hidalgo, Michoacán in
1474 and remained under
Tenochtitlan's rule until the
Spanish Conquest. The Spanish took
over the area around
1552, calling it “San Felipe el
Grande”. By the time of the
Mexican War of Independence, when
the priest
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla came to
the town, it was known as “San Felipe
del Obraje”. On January 1,
1826, San Felipe del Obraje was
declared a municipality and on October
13,
1877, the village was renamed San
Felipe del Progreso. The population of the town as of
2005 was 4,001.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Felipe_del_Progreso
for additional information.)
San Francisco Coacalco is a city in Mexico State,
Mexico. It is the seat of the Coacalco de Berriozábal municipality and forms
part of the Greater Mexico City conurbation. It lies next to the northern tip of
the Federal District (Mexico City) in the northeastern part of the state of
México.The name "Coacalco" comes from the Nahuatl, meaning "place of the snake
house", and was first recorded in 1320. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Coacalco
for additional information.)
San Jose Villa de Allende is a town and seat of the municipality of Villa
de Allende located 70 kilometers to the west of the city of
Toluca. Villa
de Allende current name was given in honor to
Ignacio Allende, a hero of the
Mexican War of Independence.
The modern town had a population of
1,169 as of the
2005 census and an elevation of 2,380
meters above sea level.
Early human inhabitation of the area is
evidenced by archeological finds such as
ceramics and arrowheads, as well as
stone walls with bas relief carvings.
Most of these are found in the nearby
settlement of San Cayetano. The village was originally founded by
the
Mazahuas, with a name meaning
"beautiful place" in that language. They
arrived around the 7th century AD, and
were under the domination of the
Chichimecas. After
Aztec domination, its name was
changed to 'Malacatepec', meaning
"spindle hill". After the arrival of the
Spaniards, the town fought with the
Aztecs but the area was subdued by
Gonzalo de Sandoval in
1521. Evangelization of the area was
accomplished by friars from the
Franciscan monastery at Toluca, who
gave the town the name of San José
Malacatepec in
1542 and built the temple of San
José in
1554. The village gained town status
in
1778 when it had a population of
6,138. From colonial times to the
Mexican War of Independence in
1810, the Mazahuas of the area were
often subjected to being slaves or
near-slaves to the colonial authorities,
mostly working forcibly at the nearby
haciendas of La Gavia, Sabana del
Rosario, Salitre de Urendis and San
Bartolo. This lead the populace to
embrace the arrival of José María
Morelos y Pavón in the area and join the
rebellion. The town's bullring was built in
1945, made of adobe and wooden beams
and was remodeled in
1981. The current municipal palace
was constructed in
1960. The town's church is noted for its
gilded wood altar on which is an urn
with the ashes of the church's founders.
Above this is an oval portrait of the
Virgin of Guadalupe which has
survived in excellent condition for over
three centuries. It also has a number of
notable oil paintings with religious
themes.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jos%C3%A9_Villa_de_Allende
for additional information.)
The town of San Mateo Mexicaltzingo was founded in
1475 when Axayácatl ordered a number of families be moved to the area south of
what is now Toluca. This town was founded more specifically by families from a
village near Ixtapalapa. The village was almost completely destroyed by the
Spanish, who destroyed their place of worship and made the people abandon their
lands. They then renamed the village San Mateo Mexicaltzingo ('Xan Mateuhtzin'
is the Náhuatl rendition of San Mateo, and the village was known by that name as
well.) around 1527. Some natives people did return to form a semi-independent
village governed by a tlatoani or chief by 1560. The first temple dedicated to
Saint Matthew the Apostle was constructed in 1603, with later church constructed
in 1776. The area had varying autonomous control and by 1743 the town was
becoming recognized as the governing authority for the area although the
municipality would not be official until the following century. In 1843 a
permanent vicar would be installed here by the archbishop of Mexico. The
municipality was established in 1869 but the municipal palace would not be built
here until 1921. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Mateo_Mexicaltzingo
for additional information.)
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San Salvador Atenco received wide media
coverage both in
2002 and
2006,
when it was the site of violent mass
protests against the federal and
local governments. The
2002 protests were against the
planned construction of a new
international airport for
Mexico City. The construction of the
airport was cancelled. In
2006, violent clashes followed the
expulsion of eight downtown flower
vendors by the police. The latter
confrontation marked the beginning of
the
2006 Atenco Riots, which lasted over
a week and resulted in over 100 arrests
and numerous allegations of human rights
abuses committed by the police against
the local population.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
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for additional information.)
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Santiago Tianguistenco, often known as Tianguistenco, is a
city in Mexico. It lays about 45 minutes southeast by car from Mexico City, in
the State of México, and is located 2,630 metres (8600 feet) above sea level.
Because of this, the city, located in the "Valley of Toluca", has been a
perennial favorite for boxers to do their training there. Santiago
Tianguistenco's most known person probably is boxer Salvador Sánchez, who became
an iconic figure nationally and across Latin America after he beat Wilfredo
Gómez in 1981. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_Tianguistenco
for additional information.)
Santo Tomás de los Platanos is
a town and the governmental heat of the municipality of Santo Tomás, located in
the center-west of Mexico
State, in
Mexico. It is approximately at 185 km from
Mexico
City and 107 km from
Toluca.
The
Náhuatl name for the area was
Caltepec, but as early as
1631, records referred to the
village here as Santo Tomás, which the
municipality is still called. Don Vasco
de Quiroga added "de los Plátanos" to
the name of the village because of all
the banana plantations nearby, but the
name was not official until
1975. Few records exist from the
colonia period, but the area was under
the jurisdiction of San Martín
Otzoloapan in the 19th century.
The current town of Santo Tomás de los
Platanos (Saint Thomas of the bananas)
was not the original seat of the
municipality of Santo Tomás. The
original Santo Tomás is flooded due to a
hydroelectric dam that was built in
1945. This dam and its hydroelectric
plant are of great economic importance to the region. Curiously, the church
tower of the old town can still be seen rising above the water of the reservoir.
The current Santo Tomas has a central garden surrounded by trees and a church. The population of the town as of
2005 was 2,823 people.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Tom%C3%A1s_de_los_Pl%C3%A1tanos
for additional information.)
Temascalcingo de José Maria Velasco is a town and seat of the
municipality of Temascalcingo in the
State of Mexico,
Mexico. It is
located in the northeast of the state. The
temazcal
was very common in Temascalcingo. The name Temascalcingo has its roots in Nahuatl. It
means place of the little temazcal.
The earliest settlements
in the area go back over
10,000 years and are
situated near what is
today the
Lerma River. The
earliest known founders
of the town were the
Mazahuas, according
to the work called "Doctrina
y enseñanza en la lengua
mazahua" (Doctrine and
teachings in the Mazahua
tongue) by Nájera
Yanguas. It was
originally called "Ñiñi
Mbate" which means
'place of the small
plain' or possibly
'place of the first
man'. This area was
subdued by the Aztecs
before the 16th century
and its last Aztec
governor was named
Ocoyotzen. When the
Spanish invaded, the
Mazahuas and the Otomis
of this area united with
the Aztecs to fight
them. However, after the
Spanish victory,
Hernán Cortés
distributed this area,
along with
Metepec to Francisco
de Villegas in
1540. In
1535, the
Franciscans
evangelized the area,
establishing churches
and renaming the area,
San Miguel Temascalcingo.
Through the 18th
century, haciendas here
grew to supply grain to
mining areas like
Tlalpujahua and
El Oro. Because of a
history of mistreatment
by colonial authorities,
the residents here sided
early with Hidalgo when
the
Mexican War of
Independence broke
out in
1810. Shortly after
the end of the war, the
State of Mexico was
created in 1824 and the
municipality of
Temascalcingo in
1825, with San
Miguel Temascalcingo as
the seat. As the
birthplace of the
painter José Maria
Velasco, the town
changed its name to
Temascalcingo de José
Maria Velasco July 14,
1945 by decree.
However, it is still
commonly referred to
simply as "Temascalcingo."
The town today has an
altitude of 2,380 meters
and in
2005 had a
population of 11,454
people. This area was the
scene of a destructive
earthquake in
1912. In
1988, a group of
residents from
Tepeolulco, a community
under Temascalcingo's
jurisdiction, took over
the municipal hall to
protest water supplies
and civil rights
violations. Some notable people
from this town include:
José Maria Velasco,
(1840-1912)
who was a painter of
landscapes,
Archbishop Leopoldo Ruiz
y Flores, (1865-1941)
suffered the exile three
times during the
Cristeros movement in
Mexico, María del
Carmen Garduño
Cervantes,(1955-
) a track-and-field
athlete who has won
medals in the
PanAmerican Games and
set Mexican records, and Pinito Reynoso
Bejarano (1895-1981)
and educator best known
for his work against
illiteracy. Two notable sites in
and near the town are
the Tzindo, which
is an archeological zone
where there ar some cave
drawings. From Colonial
period there is the
Hacienda de Solis.
The town also has a
Casa de Cultura
(House of Culture). The most important
yearly event here is the
passion play held
every year since
1975, whose script
was written by Amalio
Quintana.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temascalcingo
for additional information.
Temascaltepec (formally: Temascaltepec de González, for
Plutarco González) is a city and seat of the municipality of Temascaltepec
located in south of the State of Mexico in Mexico. It is 66km (40 miles)
southeast of Toluca and 140 km (84 miles), from Mexico City. Temascaltepec comes
from the Náhuatl "temazcalli," which means "steam bath," and "tepetl," which
means "hill." The Matlazincas named the area "Cocalostoc," which means 'cave of
crows' The first people known to live in Temascaltepec area were the prehispanic
group Matlazincas and probably founded the village were the modern town stands.
During the Spanish conquest, it was delegated to Andrés de Tapia in 1556, with
its first church built in 1559. The town grew after the discovery of silver
deposits, and the areas was a rich provider of minerals, including silver during
the colonia era until after the Mexican War of Independence. In 1858, by decree
of the state government, Temascaltepec was elevated to the category of town, and
in 1861 was named Temascaltepec de González in honor of Plutarco González a
leader in the time of La Reforma. However, it is still known simply as
Temascaltepec. The population of the town as of 2005 was 2,253.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temascaltepec_de_Gonz%C3%A1lez
for additional information.)
The city
of Tenancingo is
situated on the central
Mexican plateau at an
altitude of 2,020 m and
had a population of
30,047 in 2005. The
town's economy is
principally
agricultural,
concentrating on the
production of grain,
sugarcane, fruit,
vegetables and
livestock. There is also
an important production
of ikat shawls "rebozos"
with elaborately knotted
fringes. The area was
first settled between
1800 an 1300 BC with
remains found around the
hills of Nixcongo,
Exhacienda de Monte de
Pozo and Tepoxtepec
showing Olmec influence.
During the Pre-classic
and Classic periods the
area was dominated by
the Tarascan. During the
Aztec invasion of the
area, the Tenancingo
chief Tezozomoctli,
collaborated with
Axayacatl to subdue the
rival chief Chicaquiauh
of Malinalco and to
conquer Calpulli de
Coapipitzoatepec (Xochiaca).
In return, he remained
an independent chieftain
within the []Aztec
Empire]]. In 1535, after
the Conquest, the area
was given to Juan
Salcedo. In 1537, the
Augustinians evangelized
the area and built a
hermitage here. The
modern town of
Tenancingo was founded
by the Spanish in 1551
near the older native
settlements at the base
of the Hill of Las Tres
Marías (The Three
Marias). In 1771, the
Carmelites built a
monastery here. In 1861,
the village gained town
status, and in1878,
Tenancingo was
recognized as a city.
The Soloache family of
this town sculpted the
statue of Miguel Hidalgo
which stands in the main
plaza of the city of
Toluca. The town is best
noted for the production
of rebozos, being
documented as early as
1790. The dyes used are
primarily based on
indigo dye and the
resist is with tightly
wrapped cotton thread on
portions of the warp.
The looms are often
integral to the
dwellings and weaving is
performed by the men
standing (or running) on
the treadles.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenancingo,_Mexico_State
for additional information.)
Tenango de Arista is a town and seat of the municipality of Tenango del
Valle in the
State of Mexico; however, both are commonly referred to as Tenango del
Valle. It is located 16 miles (26 km) south downtown
Toluca, capital
city of
Estado de México. The name Tenango is from the
Náhuatl "Teotenango" which means in the walls of the gods or in the divine
walls. The original Teotenango was built on an adjoining hill to the current
town. The archeological site retains the original name while the newer town, was
renamed to make the distinction.
The
Matalcingo Valley,
where the town is
located, has been
inhabitated by humans
for a long time. The
valley was the site of
Teotihuacan
expansion. The year 800
B.C. saw the development
of different
civilizations. One
example of this is theMatlatzincas
that inhabited the
plateaus of the
State of Mexico.
In
1250, the
inhabitants of
Teotenango fought
against the people of
Calimaya. Having
lost, they moved to
Amecameca where they
settled in
1295. The area was
then conquered by
Axayacatl between
1474 and
1476. The
inhabitants of
Teotenango and nearby
regions were obligated
to pay tribute of cotton
mantles, wood, coas
(tools to work the
land), corn, beans, chía,
huahutli, gold
ornaments and feathers. During the Spanish
Conquest,
Martin Dorantes
conquered Teotenango. He
relocated the city in
the low part in
1550 renaming it
Tenango del Valle.
Tenango del Valle gained
city status in
1994. The town was
officially renamed
Heroica a la Villa de
Tenango de Arista in
1868. As of the
2005 INEGI census,
the town had a
population of 20,238
residents.
Nowadays, the name
Teotenango is kept as
the name of the
archeological site. It
is one of the most
important attractions of
the region dating from
the year 1200 A.D., when
the Teotenacas
established themselves
at
Tetépetl Hill. Since
1975, it has been
open to the public.
Only a small part of the
archeological site has
been explored. It is
located northeast of
Tetépetl Hill.
During its construction,
the inhabitants had to
respect the
topographical obstacles,
making the architecture
uneven in an interesting
and skillful way.
Teotenango was the
home of priests, the
military and people with
high religious rank. The
city was founded at the
end of the
Classic period(200
BC-900 AD) with the
residents being mostly
Matlazincas. The architecture
consists of five areas
among which three
pyramids can be
observed. These pyramids
do not have names,
instead they are known
by numbers and letters.
During the pre-Hispanic
period, it was a
fortress for its
residents. Since the
city was built on the
hillside and the rest
was guarded by walls, it
was used as a military
and religious ceremonial
center. The main entrance is
a monumental column
created in
1930, dedicated to
Ignacio López Rayón.
It was built similar to
the one founded over the
Pyramid A, which was
destroyed by a
thunderbolt many years
ago.
The Jaguar Plaza is
the principal access
point to the ceremonial
center. Of all the
three-hundred
petroglyphs of the
zone, the most important
is in this plaza. In the
plaza of area A, the
Teotenacas (the way
people from Teotenango
are called) celebrated
their religious
ceremonies. In this
period, human sacrifices
occurred in this plaza.
The ball game field
consists of lateral
walls on each end. The
court is bounded by
inclined sidewalks on
the long sides. On the
two vertical walls, were
the stone rings that the
ball needed to cross.
Next to the field, there
is a
temascal, which is
kind of a sauna, used by
the ancestors for
curative and
purification rituals.
(Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenango_del_Valle
for additional information.)
Teoloyucan is a city and
municipality located in
Mexico
State, Mexico.
It lies 45 km (28 mi) north of the
Federal
District (Distrito Federal) in the northeastern part of the state of México,
and is part of the
Greater Mexico City urban area. During the colonial period the area's name
had a number of variations, including Teohuilloyocan, Teohuilloyucan,
Theoloyucan, Teoloyucan Coaquileque and Tehuilloyocan. The name comes from
Náhuatl meaning place of glass or place of crystal rock.
According to the
Mendocino Codex, the
settlement is mentioned
as
Itzcoatl conquered
this area, meaning it
existed prior to
1436, probably owing
its importance to its
proximity to
Cuauhtitlan. After
the Spanish Conquest, in
1565, the area and
its people were
entrusted to Alonso de
Ávila Alvarado. The
Franciscans came a
year later to
evangelize. In
1570 the town was
described as having four
principal districts
divided into 8
neighborhoods each,
indicating the area was
already well-organized
with a population of
over 1,000 people, half
of whom were
Mexica and the other
half
Otomi.
The population of the
city as of
2005 was 54,202.
The modern town
of Teotihuacan is right next to the
ancient city and archeological site of
Teotihuacán, which has existed at least
since 500 B.C. as one of the earlist
civilizations in
Mesoamerica. During the Aztec
Empire, the area belonged to the lords
of Texcoco forming part of the
Aztec Triple Alliance. The Pyramid
of the Sun in the ancient ruins was
explored and restored by Leopoldo Batres
around
1905. In the mid 1960's, much
excavation work was carried out as well
as a highway constructed to facilitate
travel to the area, and declaring the
area an archeological zone. The site
contributes greatly to the economy of
the town in the way of tourism.
The current population of the town is
21,577 and is at an atitude of 2270
meters above sea level. From about 2001 to 2004, controversy
erupted over a proposed
Wal-mart store to be built in the
town because of its proximity to the
ruins. Wal-mart eventually won the right
to build its store more than 2 miles
away from the archeological zone. (Information provided by
Wikipedia. Click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuac%C3%A1n_de_Arista
for additional information.)